After Tupac and D Foster
RSS-- School Library Journal, 02/05/2010
From the February issue
After Tupac and D Foster (unabr.). 3 CDs. 3:13 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2009. ISBN 987-1-4233-9805-9. $39.97.
Gr 6-10–Susan Spain’s sensitive narration captures the strong emotional nature of Jacqueline Woodson’s Newbery Honor book (Putnam, 2008) about the friendship between young girls and how their lives are affected by the music and life of rapper Tupac Shakur. The unnamed narrator reminisces about her life when D Foster was an important, if brief presence, and Spain conveys both the joy of that time and the sense of loss that it is now gone. D, a foster child who has seen it all, best understands Tupac Shakur’s music—“he sings about what I’m living.” While she resonates strength with her independence, she also longs for the stability that Neeka’s family represent. The girls seem older than 12, but their lives have been full of tragedy. Neeka’s brother is in jail, the narrator has no father, and D has often been abandoned by her mother. Spain captures Neeka’s false sophistication, D’s wistful longing combined with world weariness, and the narrator’s affection for both friends. She even gets the false confidence of Tash, Neeka’s gay brother who is trying to put a good face on his incarceration. Each disc begins with a bit of rap rhythm, giving a strong emotional beat to the narration. This is a compelling story about a time when three girls became friends and mourned the loss of a singer who seemed to understand their lives almost better than they did.–Edith Ching, Washington Latin Public Charter School, DC
